Wired's monthly Jargon Watch feature has listed ludology as new bit jargon alongside fratire, chassis (in a non-automotive sense) and social jet lag. According to Jonathon Keats of
Wired, ludology (from the latin word
ludus, meaning "games") is the academic study of videogames. Intellectual sites such as Jesper Juul's
The Ludologist and Gonzalo Frasca's
Ludology.org consistently provide us with thought-provoking material on our favorite entertainment medium.
Now that ludology is official jargon, does this mean game criticism will become more mainstream? Someone go tell
Klosterman, quick!
In the meantime, might we propose a bit of jargon:
joystiquery. We know this will probably start an anti-Joystiq flame war, but we will update the post later with the best definition given to us in the comments below.
[via
The Ludologist]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Doc P @ Jul 31st 2006 2:04PM
I use "joystiquery" on a regular basis. But I prefer "joystiqueriffic"
Martin @ Jul 31st 2006 2:16PM
Joystiquery:
1. the art of posting articles at least a week old about videogames in piss poor spelling and grammer, knowing full well that someone will come up with a lame way or excuse to accuse you of being anti-Sony.
2. Confusing a movie trailer with videogame news (sorry that still irks me!!!)
3. Street slang for playing with the male genitalia.
4. The practice of making a big deal over stars but not handing them out.
5. Bringing together all the news from the many videogame news sites and blogs into one easy-ish to read blog where the videogame community can add their own comments.
moominsean @ Jul 31st 2006 2:19PM
I think most 14 year old boys practice quite a bit of joystiquery under the sheets at night.
C. Grant @ Jul 31st 2006 2:20PM
Wow, Martin's gwumpy.
Jason @ Jul 31st 2006 2:22PM
Joystiquery, eh?
You know that's just a bad start, since it practically rhymes with "bitchery." Never where you want to be when creating a you-verb. Or adjective.
I can't read or write.
MewMewtwo45 @ Jul 31st 2006 2:37PM
Wow, how can you possibly rhyme "joystiquery" with "bitchery?"
Comradetrotskii @ Jul 31st 2006 2:38PM
When will someone start offering a degree, M.A (hons) Ludology with Joystiquery, I would stump up the tuition money in a second for that.
The3rdNuisance @ Jul 31st 2006 2:44PM
Joystiquery:
1. The act of happily beating people over the head with a stick, whereabouts of such stick is unknown.
2. A slang term meaning "Querying about joists."
3. A slang term for bad internet naming practices invloving mispelled words to make it catchy.
I personally like #1...
MthdDirector @ Jul 31st 2006 2:48PM
"joystiquery": n. Blogging about videogames in such a manner that makes million-dollar industry conventions obsolete. See also: E3.
bv @ Jul 31st 2006 2:52PM
@Martin: What the hell is up with people criticizing someone's grammar, but spell the word wrong. Is "grammer" some regional form that I am unaware of, i.e. color vs. colour? If not, then go to your room and don't come out till tommorow. And about the stars, they gave you 2 and your still complaining? You shouldn't be commenting for the stars anyways, it's about a passion for video games, and you seem to be a miserly game snob with nothing better to do than pick apart a website that is free, informative, and regularly updated.
Dignan17 @ Jul 31st 2006 3:03PM
Funny, when I looked at the term, I read it as the study of Luddites:
Lud·dite
n.
2 One who opposes technical or technological change.
m3mnoch @ Jul 31st 2006 3:20PM
joy-stiq-ue-ry (joi'stik'uh-re) the art of pleasuring oneself tirelessly and relentlessly with various forms of video game media and entertainment.
m3mnoch.
Anononomous @ Jul 31st 2006 3:20PM
I had the same thoughts as Dignan17. Not a good word choice.
And bv, the word can be spelled either way.
Bob the Builder @ Jul 31st 2006 3:29PM
Whenever we get an article from our site, I always say something stupid like, "I lol'd, we got Joystiq'ed again, zomg ponies!@11SHIFT+1!111".
Just kidding about the ponies. But I do say Joystiq'ed quite often, similiar to "Kotakued", or "Dugg".
So yeah. It's all good.
Dracula Jones @ Jul 31st 2006 3:37PM
"And bv, the word can be spelled either way."
No, it can't.
What I'd like to know is where is this ludology taking place? Where are the ludologists? Because the only studies I ever hear about are funded by politicians and only seem to conclude that video games is 110% baaad!
Dave @ Jul 31st 2006 3:44PM
Typing "dict grammer" into firefox brings up an article about Kelsey Grammer.
Grammar is only spelled one way.
Jason @ Jul 31st 2006 4:06PM
Nothing every posted in the section of "jargon watch" in wired has ever made it into the lexicon. The guy just yanks words out his a55 every month and throws them up. He does this while missing words and phrases that actually do end up in popular use.
ry @ Jul 31st 2006 4:12PM
For the record, Jesper Juul is a fool.
Derick @ Jul 31st 2006 4:32PM
Ludology sounds more like the study of things that are lude...
We always get stuck with idiotic crap like that.
epobirs @ Jul 31st 2006 4:38PM
Lovely. A new code word referring to post-grad jagoffs with no marketable skills to show for several years and a stunning sum of money invested in a supposed education.
Reminds me of the English major whose dream it was to move to a small country town and open a poetry repair shop.
m3mnoch @ Jul 31st 2006 4:49PM
whew.... thank god i opened a prose repair shop instead!
the bottom fell right out of the poetry market. tho. i think someone still needs to tell raph.
m3mnoch.
Loque @ Jul 31st 2006 5:29PM
Joystiquery: The art of compiling important (or funny, odd, wierd, stupid) news surrounding the gamer culture into one consolidated blog/forum in which crazed gamers (who seem to gravitate around this blog)then comment, usually filled with a phenomenon known as "fanboy fervor." Yet, you always come back for more.
Geist @ Jul 31st 2006 6:23PM
It's based on latin, so it must be good!
It's a dead language. Stop naming stuff after it, please.
Numlok @ Jul 31st 2006 6:33PM
Joystiquery:
1: Walking around town asking people for old joysticks (primarly done by poor people)
2: Writing nice, intelligent and a bit funny about stuff nobody else writes nice, intelligent or even remotely humorous about
3: Raising money for Weblogs.inc
4: Poking nose to Gamespot
Pat @ Jul 31st 2006 8:00PM
The term was first coined by Lars Konzack in a truely terrible paper he wrote on deconstructive game analysis. I had to use it as a base in my "ludology" degree at uni.
Martin @ Jul 31st 2006 8:50PM
Wow, after reading comments to my post, I have decided to add a few more definitions.
6. Blogging about videogames while a bunch of spoiled little whiney brats get together to not get any real humor.
7. Humorous yet informative method of passing along videogame information while on the defensive from a bunch of snot nosed little kids who wouldn't know a joke from their mom's nipple (which they just got away from an hour ago).
8. The art of not being biased towards any one company, yet always getting accused of hating on SONY because they can't seem to make any good news for themselves after E3 2006.
steve @ Aug 1st 2006 11:38AM
so is someone who practices ludology a ludologer or just a luddite?